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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Nektar Therapeutics reported encouraging signs that hair regrowth with investigational rezpegaldesleukin could persist after treatment stopped—but the most striking durability figures came from just eight responders. News coverage reported that NKTR shares fell about 21% to 22.4% on October 1, 2026. The clinical results and the stock move are related news, but available reporting does not establish a single cause for the decline.
What Nektar reported about hair regrowth after treatment
In an October 1, 2026 update from the Phase 2b REZOLVE-AA study, Nektar said that among patients who had reached a Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) score of 20 or lower, 6 of 8 maintained that threshold four months after stopping treatment, and 5 of 8 did so at six months. A lower SALT score indicates less scalp hair loss.
Those results suggest a possible durability signal, but they describe a small subset of patients who had already responded—not everyone enrolled in the study. The percentages, 75% and 63%, should therefore be read alongside their denominators: six and five patients, respectively. Nektar also reported that 19% of patients had a SALT score of 10 or lower after six months off treatment, compared with 7% at the end of 52 weeks of treatment. These are company-reported Phase 2b findings, not confirmation of lasting benefit in a larger population. (Nektar’s October 1, 2026 release filed with the SEC.)
How the off-treatment results differ from the 52-week results
Nektar’s April 2026 update covered patients continuing twice-monthly dosing in a treatment extension. It reported week-52 response rates for the overall study population, which are distinct from the later off-treatment results in a subset of responders.
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| Measure at week 52 | Low-dose arm | High-dose arm | Placebo |
|---|---|---|---|
| SALT50 response | 37.7% | 38.8% | 13.6% |
| SALT30 response | 45.6% | 47.6% | 24.2% |
SALT50 and SALT30 describe different response thresholds; they are not interchangeable with achieving SALT ≤20 or SALT ≤10. Nektar separately said that 29% of patients in the 18 µg/kg extension arm and 31% in the 24 µg/kg arm reached SALT ≤20 for the first time between weeks 36 and 52. All of these extension results were observed while patients remained on treatment. (Nektar’s April 20, 2026 extension update.)
Did the alopecia trial meet its main goal?
The October durability update does not establish that the original Phase 2b trial met its prespecified primary endpoint. A December 2025 account of the initial topline results said the primary endpoint in the full study population did not reach statistical significance. Nektar’s April 2026 release later described extension findings as positive proof of concept; those later data do not reverse or replace the original primary-endpoint result.
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The distinction matters: later response and durability signals can inform development, but they are not the same as meeting the trial’s original statistical test. Rezpegaldesleukin remains investigational, and Phase 2b findings are not confirmatory Phase 3 evidence. Nektar has also cautioned that clinical development can fail despite earlier positive findings. (Nektar’s April 2026 release.)
Why NKTR shares fell despite the promising signal
Contemporaneous coverage described the new rates as modest and based on small patient groups while reporting a roughly 21% same-day decline in Nektar shares. Investing.com reported a 22.4% fall to $46.99 and a 2.1% decline in the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index on October 1, 2026. These are outlet-reported market figures; the available reporting does not establish a definitive causal breakdown of the move or resolve differences in intraday versus closing-price methodology. (Yahoo Finance’s October 1 report; Investing.com’s October 2026 report.)
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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →One reasonable interpretation is that investors weighed the encouraging persistence signal against its small responder subset, the Phase 2b stage of the program, and expectations for the data. That is an interpretation, not a proven explanation for any individual day’s trading. A share-price decline also does not, by itself, establish that the clinical result was negative.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What comes next for Nektar’s alopecia program
In its August 13, 2026 financial update, Nektar said it planned to begin one registrational Phase 3 alopecia areata study in early 2027. That statement is a company plan as of August 2026—not confirmation that the trial has started, that it will succeed, or that the drug will be approved. The next meaningful evidence will need to come from that later-stage clinical program and subsequent regulatory review. (Nektar’s August 13, 2026 update.)
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